Breastfeeding News and Research

Latest Breastfeeding News and Research

ILCA, IBLCE recognizes Cincinnati Children's for excellence in lactation care

The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) have recognized Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center for excellence in lactation care.

27 Jan 2012

Timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy linked with FAS characteristics

Researchers at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a state-wide non-profit organization based at the University of California, San Diego, have found new links between the timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and certain characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

18 Jan 2012

Reaching WHO PMTCT goal in Zimbabwe

Researchers in this PLoS Medicine article examine the efforts necessary to reach the WHO goal of reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) risk to less than five percent in Zimbabwe.

12 Jan 2012

Breast fed babies versus formula fed babies: Who is crankier?

A new study finds that breastfed babies cry more, laugh less, and generally have “more challenging temperaments” than formula-fed infants. However such behavior is normal, and mothers should learn to cope with it rather than reach for the bottle, according to researchers.

11 Jan 2012

Study refutes perinatal programming theory about adipose tissue growth

Is obesity in infants "programmed" in the womb? Previously, researchers assumed that consumption of "bad" fats during pregnancy contribute to excessive infant adipose tissue growth and that "good" omega-3 fatty acids prevent expansive adipose tissue development. A study run by the Technische Universit-t M-nchen showed no evidence to support this "perinatal programming" theory.

5 Jan 2012

Truths and myths about pregnancy, obesity

Ironically, despite excessive caloric intake, many obese women are deficient in vitamins vital to a healthy pregnancy. This and other startling statistics abound when obesity and pregnancy collide. Together, they present a unique set of challenges that women and their doctors must tackle in order to achieve the best possible outcome for mom and baby.

22 Dec 2011

Breastfeeding should continue until 12 months urge experts

According to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare women who are breastfeeding are steadily becoming a smaller number. The report notes that only 40 per cent of mothers still exclusively breastfeed their babies at three months and 15 per cent of mothers are still breastfeeding at five months. This is despite health guidelines that recommend breastfeeding for the first six months.

21 Dec 2011

Mother's milk for healthy growth

A PhD project from LIFE - the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen has shown that breastfed children follow a different growth pattern than non-breastfed children. Breastfeeding lowers the levels of the growth hormones IGF-I and insulin in the blood, which means that growth is slightly slower. This is believed to reduce the risk of overweight and diabetes later in life.

21 Dec 2011

Almost two-thirds of pregnant women in B.C. consume prescription drugs

Almost two-thirds of women in British Columbia filled at least one prescription at some point in their pregnancy, including drugs with potential risks, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.

16 Dec 2011

Experts warn expectant moms about dangers of common cold medicines during pregnancy

Experts in pregnancy and breastfeeding health at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line warn expectant moms about the potential dangers of common cold medicines during pregnancy.

15 Dec 2011

Report says African mothers confused over infant-feeding options to prevent HIV transmission

Some women in African nations are "dangerously confused about the best nutritional path to protect their children from contracting [HIV]," a new report, based on research by community health workers from Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, shows, PlusNews reports.

9 Dec 2011

Recommendations to address challenges associated with chronic inflammatory diseases

A dramatic increase in the incidence of chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma, allergy, and irritable bowel syndrome, has led to concern about how modern lifestyles may trigger physiological defense mechanisms.

8 Dec 2011

More mothers are breastfeeding their newborns, but for too short a duration

More mothers are breastfeeding their newborns, but for too short a duration to gain the maximum benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants.

6 Dec 2011

Post-baseline vision data from Lundbeck's Sabril patient registry presented at AES meeting

Post-baseline vision data from Lundbeck's Sabril patient registry is available for the first time today as a late-breaking poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society.

5 Dec 2011

'Simple solutions' available to improve family health

"Although advances in vaccines, nutrition and family health have dramatically reduced the number of child deaths in the past 50 years, nearly eight million children younger than five still die every year," Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in this CNN opinion piece.

2 Dec 2011

Papua New Guinea experiencing 'crisis in maternal health,' government task force says

"Decades of neglect, a failing health system and remote mountainous topography have created a 'crisis in maternal health,' according to a government taskforce in Papua New Guinea (PNG)," IRIN reports.

2 Dec 2011

High fish intake during pregnancy leads to better verbal intelligence, motor skills in children

The statement that 'fish is good for the brain' is increasingly backed-up by scientific evidence but what the actual outcomes are in terms of mental performance or 'brain power' is still being discovered.

18 Nov 2011

American Academy of Pediatrics expands sleep safety guidelines

Creating a sleep environment for a child is much more than choosing a pretty blanket; it truly can be a life-or-death decision. "Sleep is extremely important for all of us, but especially for infants. It's when kids grow. The nervous system gets a chance to rest and assimilate all the new experiences and information the baby has learned throughout the day," said Lisa Martin, MD, Loyola University Health System pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

17 Nov 2011

Simple outpatient procedure can quickly diagnose and treat ankyloglossia

Mothers struggling to breastfeed are benefiting from a simple outpatient procedure to fix an easily missed 'tongue-tie' condition that could be preventing their newborns from feeding properly.

11 Nov 2011

China considers ban on infant formula ads to encourage breastfeeding

"China may ban sales promotions and advertising for milk formula designed for babies younger than six months in an effort to encourage breastfeeding, the Ministry of Health" said Wednesday in a statement, Bloomberg reports, adding that "the government is canvassing public opinion on a draft plan." UNICEF "said it supported measures to curb the use of infant formula, whose sales in China more than doubled in four years," Bloomberg writes.

11 Nov 2011